Dicey Café
by Jishuteki Reikon
Summary: Kirito meets some old friends in a chance encounter. Now he and other familiar Sword Art Online players will have to band together as the guild Laughing Coffin, once a power that had been easy to deal with in SAO, becomes a threat out of game, too. Between reuniting with friends from the game, parental concern, everyday life and Asuna, will Kirito be able to deal with this threat?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So! I've decided to try my hand at a Sword Art Online fic. A couple notes: this is set a month after Kirito is released from the hospital. The special school hasn't been made yet. I will be calling Kirito, well, Kirito. I can't really call him anything else, it just feels too weird. Also, Minetaka is his uncle and adoptive father and Midori is his aunt and adoptive mother. We all know who Suguha is. Also, Kirito calls his aunt and uncle Mom and Dad. Anyway, hope you like it, and I hope no one is too OOC!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own SAO, and most likely never will.**

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**Dicey Café**

Kirito's eyes shot open as he heard a series of knocks on his bedroom door. He hurriedly sat up as he heard his cousin, Suguha, tell him, "Onii-chan, Mom and Dad say it's time to wake up! We're going on a walk after breakfast, so wear something comfortable!" Fading footsteps revealed that she had retreated from his door.

Kirito took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm his pounding heart. He had been frightened and more than a little startled by Sugu's summons. He'd been having a dream- or rather, a nightmare- about Aincrad and its monsters. Honestly, he didn't think he'd ever be able to get over what happened in SAO. At least, not until Asuna woke up.

Asuna. I have to visit her soon. He'd been visiting her hospital room every three days since he had been released from the hospital himself.

As his brain became less foggy, he got out if his warm bed. As he was dressing, his thoughts wandered to the other friends he had made in Kayaba's game, namely Klein, Agil, Silica and Lisbeth. He wondered how they were doing. He didn't know any of their real names, and therefore had been unable to get their contact information. He sighed out loud. He'd really like to see them again. Sure, his family and his old friends from school before SAO were good company, but they just couldn't relate to him about adjusting to reality after years of living in a virtual world.

Kirito stretched, pushing his distressing thoughts out of his head. Opening his door, he made his way into the kitchen to get breakfast.

* * *

Kirito sat at the table with a large amount of food on a plate before him. Inwardly, he sighed, knowing that he would only be able to finish half of it at most. His body hadn't fully adjusted to such big, rich meals yet.

After a few minutes of silent eating, a voice broke in. "So, Kazuto," his adoptive father and uncle, Minetaka, began, "how about a walk after breakfast?" His dark eyes looked at Kirito in askance.

"It'll help build up your muscle," his aunt and adoptive mother, Midori, added.

"Sounds good," Kirito replied. He put another mouthful of food into his mouth, then set his chopsticks down.

"Onii-chan, you should eat more," Suguha told him.

Meeting his cousin's gaze, he said, "Sorry, Sugu. I'm not very hungry." He smiled and rubbed at the back of his neck as he caught the attention of his parents.

"Here, I'm finished, too," Midori said. "I'll take your plate." She stood.

He handed his mostly full plate to the outstretched hand, and Midori walked back into the kitchen. She returned a short minute later.

The rest of the uneventful breakfast was spent with meaningless small talk.

* * *

The air outside was clear and crisp. Breathing deeply, Kirito felt a refreshing amount of fresh air travel into his lungs. Letting the air rush out through his mouth, he turned to his family and smiled at them.

They'd walked into the city from their house. They were surrounded by various small buildings, shops, and cafés.

Looking around from his place on the sidewalk, Minetaka glanced at his wife. She cleared her throat and stated, "Why don't we take a break and rest at a café?" She and Minetaka could tell that their nephew was tired, but just too shy to ask for a respite.

And tired he was. He was gently trembling from exertion he wasn't used to, and looked like he was forcing himself to stay upright. Even his smile looked strained.

Minetaka suggested, "Sugu, why don't you pick a place?"

Grinning, Suguha roamed her eyes around various shops and diners. After a solid thirty seconds of searching, she said, "Ooh, how about that café down there- Dicey Café!" She pointed down the road.

Kirito turned his head to see where she had picked. It was a ways down the road, but he could see it. There were two dice above a sign that said "Dicey Café." Under that, there was another, smaller sign tacked on. From this distance, though, he couldn't read it.

Together, the family meandered to the quaint brown diner, taking their time to enjoy the nice weather.

They were five feet from the café when Kirito glanced at the sign again.

"Agil's Shop."

Kirito's breath caught in his throat, and he stopped walking in surprise.

Agil's Shop?! Could it be...? Hope flared through his chest.

"Kazuto?" Midori's concerned voice broke through his thoughts.

Focusing his eyes on his family, Kirito saw that they were looking at him, confused and worried.

Shaking himself, he told them, "I'm fine, it's nothing... Let's go." Pushing ahead of them, he opened the door, causing a bell to chime. There was only one way to find out, wasn't there?

A low, male voice said, "Hello, welcome to Dicey- K... Kirito?!"

"Agil!" Kirito grinned, weariness forgotten, pure joy radiating from his face. His family looked on in confusion.

Sugu looked at the buff man. "Are you talking to Onii-chan?"

Agil smiled broadly, skirting around the bar counter. He walked up to Kirito and out his large hands on the boy's small shoulders. "It's really you!"

Kirito's smile grew wider. "It's great to see you again! I wasn't sure if I'd ever find you!"

Agil proceeded to crush the gamer in a hug. "We thought you were dead!" His eyes widened as he stepped back. Spinning on his heel, he turned toward the back of the café and yelled, "KLEIN!"

Kirito looked eagerly in the same direction to see a sandy brown-haired man's head snap up. The head bore a red bandana and a scruffy beard. Dark eyes looked at Agil in confusion, then drifted to Kirito.

Klein's jaw promptly dropped. He jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in his rush to move. Not bothering to right it, he ran up to Kirito and looked closely into the boy's face, causing him to lean back in surprise.

A familiar rough voice came out of Klein's mouth. "It really is you, Kirito! How dare you go dying on me before you bought me my meal!"

"Nice to see you too, Klein."

Klein suddenly grinned and embraced Kirito, which was returned. Laughing, they broke apart. Klein said, "Everyone will be so excited to see you!"

Kirito cocked his head. "Everyone?"

Agil grinned. "Yeah! SAO players see the sign outside and come in. This has become their official hangout!"

Klein pouted. "Agil refuses to sell us free drinks and snacks, though."

Kirito smirked, remembering how stingy the merchant could be in the game. "Yeah, that'll happen around the time you get a girlfriend, Klein."

"OI!"

Agil and Kirito laughed.

"We have a lot of catching up to do!" Agil said.

A voice broke in. "Kazuto? Who are these men?"

The voice of his uncle reminded his he hadn't come in alone. He looked on, delighted, at his family, who seemed confused as to why two strange men were chatting and hugging him. So, feeling better than he had in a while, he said, "Mom, Dad, Sugu, there are some friends I'd like you to meet..."

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**AN: Whew! That was harder to do than I thought it would be! I hope you all liked it, and thanks for reading to the end. Feel free to review. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames will be directed to the appropriate alchemist. **  
**-Teki**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: As I sit here, listening to Crossing Field on loop, I realize that I am a terrible person. I've gotten several reviews asking for another chapter, and I have only just gotten around to doing it. I really have no excuse, and I apologize. I mean, I have had to do summer homework and start school, but I had at least a week before then to work on this. So, here it is, the chapter awaited by, like, two people:**

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**Dicey Café, ch. 2**

_"Mom, Dad, Sugu... there are some friends I'd like you to meet..."_

Agil grinned. "Come on, let's sit down before we do introductions." The big man ushered them to empty seats by the bar, then went around the counter to stand in front of them. Klein's seat in the corner went forgotten.

Settling on his seat, Kirito turned to Agil. "So," he started, "who all have you seen?"

"I've seen Lisbeth," Agil replied. "Argo came in once, a week or so ago. A few others I'd met in-game once or twice come here every week." He started polishing a glass that sat on the counter, using a small rag to scrub it.

"Hey!" A young voice called out.

Startled, the group turned to see a young, handsome man making his way towards them.

"I couldn't help but overhear," he said, stopping in front of Kirito, "and correct me if I'm wrong, but did he say your name was Kirito? _The_ Kirito?"

Klein grinned at Kirito, who had the beginnings of a blush on his face. "The one and only," he responded for the small swordsman.

The man grinned. "I knew it!" Turning towards the tables, he called out, "Guys! It _is_ him!"

Another man and a young woman with black hair came strolling toward them, leaving behind an empty table. They stopped before the group, standing next to the man that had first approached them, faces glowing.

The woman spoke first. "You're Kirito!" She beamed at the young swordsman, grabbing his hand and pumping it excitedly. "Thank you! That you so much!"

The man cried, "Holy crap! You're the Black Swordsman!" He suddenly bowed, making Kirito's face practically radiate heat. "Thank you," he said seriously, "for clearing the game."

The man who had come up first followed his friend's lead, also bowing. "Thank you."

"Kazuto...?"

Kirito heard his mother's voice and drew his gaze from the grateful SAO players. His parents looked confused, as did Suguha.

"Onii-chan cleared the game?" Sugu asked.

Klein looked at Kirito in surprise. "You didn't tell them?"

Kirito shook his head, looking at the ground. "I..." He couldn't think of what to say.

The truth was that he wasn't really proud of what he had accomplished. In the end, he had taken someone's life, and that was something no one should be proud of. He also didn't want to talk about Asuna. Sugu would surely have wanted a blow-by-blow account of the battle between him and Kayaba, and he thought that if he ever uttered the words "Asuna died protecting me and now she is in a coma" aloud, he'd break down. It would be better, he thought, to just keep what had happened on the down-low.

Klein put his hand on Kirito's shoulder, as if he knew what the boy was thinking. "Come on, now," he said. "Give him some space. I'm sure no one wants to be reminded of that place so soon."

The trio nodded, having the grace to look abashed.

"Sorry," the woman said. "We didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Yeah," one of the men said. "We just wanted to thank you. I mean, you basically saved our lives!"

The second man nodded. "We'll go back to our seats."

The three left, shooting awed glances over their shoulders as they walked.

Minetaka gave Kirito a look. "What was that about?" Midori and Sugu looked at him, too, their eyes finally leaving the people who, in their minds, had been complete strangers speaking meaningless jargon.

Klein removed his hand from his friend's shoulder. He and Agil exchanged a glance, then looked at Kirito, whose eyes were still stuck on the ground.

Agil asked, "Do you want to tell them, or shall we?"

The young swordsman sighed and shifted on his seat. "Be my guest."

"First off," Klein started, "I'm Tsuboi Ryotaro, but you can call me Klein. It was my username in SAO. In the game, I was the leader of a guild called Fuurinkazan."

"I'm Agil," the big café owner stated. "My real name is Andoryu Girubato Miruzu and I was a merchant in-game."

"We became Kirito's friends," continued Klein. "We all met up at the final battle on the 75th floor of Aincrad to fight against the Skull Reaper together." His face darkened. "Fourteen players died that day."

Minetaka, Midori, and Suguha, who were listening in rapt attention, paled.

Agil took over the narrative. "After the battle, Kirito noticed that Heathcliff, the leader of the strongest guild, the Knights of Blood, was still standing and that his health bar wasn't even in the yellow zone."

"Or rather," Klein interrupted, "Kirito realized that his health _couldn't_ go into the yellow zone."

"Couldn't?" Minetaka blinked, confused. "Why not?"

Kirito spoke for the first time since the tale had started. "He was an Immortal Object. I'd suspected something was off with him ever since our duel- which is a story for a different time," he added quickly, seeing Midori open her mouth.

"What happened next?" Sugu asked.

Agil shrugged. "He put two and two together, and got four. As Kirito said, who wants to sit on the sidelines and watch _other_ people play a game?"

Midori's eyes widened. "This Heathcliff was Kayaba Akihiko?"

Klein nodded as Sugu and Minetaka gaped. "We were shocked, too. Who would have thought that the man leading the front lines would turn out to be our worst enemy, the creator of the Death Game himself?"

"He said that he had planned on being the boss of the 100th floor," Agil said. "But then he gave Kirito an opportunity: if he beat Kayaba right then and there, the game would be cleared, and everyone would be released."

"Why Onii-chan?" Suguha asked curiously.

At that, Klein grinned. "This guy had to be one of the most well-known players in the game. The great, fearsome Black Swordsman! He was the only dual-wielder in the game!"

Agil whistled. "Only player to ever be able to use two swords at once. He even had a higher level than the Knights of Blood's sub-leader, Asuna the Flash."

Hearing his girlfriend's name, Kirito flinched.

Sugu perked up at the name. "That's the girl Onii-chan visits at the hospital!"

Klein and Agil blinked and looked at Kirito. "So she's not dead?" Klein asked in relief.

Kirito shook his head. "She's not dead, but she's not awake, either."

Minetaka, realizing that his son didn't want to linger on the subject of this mysterious Asuna, said, "So Kazuto won, then?"

Agil and Klein looked at each other again. "Yes and no," Agil said carefully. "Kayaba stabbed him first and his health ran out, but then... he sort of... came back." He shook his head, confused. "I'll never know how he did it, but he did. Then he beat Kayaba while the bastard was distracted."

Kirito relaxed, realizing that his friends weren't going to say anything more about Asuna. It was a private matter, and he knew his family would ask him later about it. He needed time to prepare himself.

Klein grinned. "If he was popular before, he became a legend after that. Once word spread, players started calling him the Savior of Sword Art Online, the one who beat Kayaba himself to clear the game." The man stretched, shifting on the plastic seat. "That's pretty much it."

Sugu, Minetaka, and Midori sat back. "Wow."

Midori's eyes twinkled. "To think that our Kazuto was the one who beat the game and save everyone." She and Sugu leaned over to Kirito and gave him a gentle hug.

Minetaka grinned, ruffling Kirito's hair. "Good job, Kazuto," he said proudly.

Kirito blushed under the attention. He'd never been one for the spotlight.

Changing the subject, he said, "Wow, I'm starving. Can we eat?"

Chuckling, his parents nodded.

Klein queried, "Can I join you? All I got was a drink, which is over..." He looked over at his abandoned table. He frowned. "There was a drink there!"

Agil laughed. "Looks like someone took it!"

"Gah!" Klein got out. "I didn't even get to drink any of it!"

"Too bad," Agil replied. "You're still paying for it."

Kirito laughed then. Even though he'd relived memories that have him a whole range of feelings and emotions, he was there, reunited with friends and having fun with family, and he could feel in his heart that Asuna would wake up, and that she would be okay.

This day had started out just like any other, but as time went on, he would look on this day as one of the best he'd ever had.

* * *

**AN: And there it is. I wanted to put so much in here that I had left out- namely, his family learning about Asuna, and what, exactly, she meant to Kirito. I also tried to let them know just how popular and strong Kirito was in the game, but without laying it on too thick. And I used Agil's Japanese name (his English one being Andrew Gilbert Mills) because I liked it better. I usually like the Japanese ones better.**

**Also, I am thinking of making this story a series of one shots about the Dicey Café. As in different meetings there, Asuna's first time there, meeting different players there (like Silica or Lisbeth) and just general stories about it. Thoughts on this? Yea or nay? And if I do this, I will take (and encourage) suggestions about different stories. I can't guarantee that I will do them, but I'll seriously consider them. Just PM me or drop me a review.**

**Thank you all for reading! Feel free to review, and I do appreciate constructive criticism! Flames, however, will be directed to the appropriate alchemist.**

**-Teki**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hello again! Sorry for the wait, but school started and I've already had to do an essay and had two quizzes. D: Anyway, in this chapter, we see a familiar face and have a little conflict. It's set roughly a couple of weeks after the last chapter.**

**Thanks to anyone who reviewed, and I loved the suggestions! I'll work on those later, but first I want to establish more of a storyline.**

**Have fun reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online.**

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**Dicey Café- chapter 3**

Standing in front of the door that led to his friend's café, Kirito stopped to catch his breath. It had only taken him about thirty minutes to walk to the Dicey Café from his house, but his muscles were still adjusting. Plus, he was burdened with two heavy, wooden kendo swords - called shinai - because Klein had demanded to see them after Kirito had told him that he was going to start practicing again.

Klein, apparently, had never seen a shinai before.

The shinai bag shifted on his back as he stretched. He felt a couple of bones pop and he sighed in satisfaction. Looking forward to an ice-cold glass of water, Kirito reached out his hand and grasped the handle of the door.

He was completely unprepared for the scene before him as he gently opened the door.

Agil, Klein, and a familiar-looking dark-haired man stood across from a group of five or so men and women, looking ready to start throwing punches.

Other customers were staring at the scene, surprise, confusion, and nervousness etched across their faces.

They looked exactly how Kirito felt.

The familiar-looking man spoke, saying, "Agil told you to leave," and finally Kirito recognized him. The man was Thinker, former leader of the largest guild in SAO, the Army.

That mystery solved, Kirito turned his full attention to the strangers who were looking at his friends in disdain.

There were two women and three men. Kirito didn't recognize any of them, but he did know the symbol hanging from one man's wrist. It was a black coffin that had a grinning face on it, the eyes small and the lips large and sneering.

These people were from the Laughing Coffin.

Having come to this understanding, Kirito's heart leapt into his throat. What were members of the player-killing guild doing in Agil's restaurant?

Thankfully, everyone's attention was stuck on the eight people in front of them, so no one had noticed him enter the shop. He stepped silently into the shadows, listening to their conversation. As he listened, he reached up and took out the two shinai, holding them at the ready. If things got bad, he would be prepared.

One of the women, who was tall and had dyed, blonde hair, stepped forward and said with mock-hurt in her voice, "Oh, how rude. I thought that _all_ SAO players could visit here."

Agil grit his teeth. "Not the likes of _you_," he spat.

Klein nodded in agreement. "Murderers like you all deserve to be locked up in jail, not walking around with the rest of us." His fists were clenched at his sides and his face was flushed red with anger.

The man with the Laughing Coffin charm said, "Murderers? How impolite. Is there any proof?"

This caused the three to glare even harder at the man, knowing that his insinuation was right- without proof, nothing could be done.

The guild members grinned. "No, there isn't," the other woman said. She brushed her black hair behind her shoulder. "So why don't you just let us stay?"

Another man nodded, gesturing at the watching eyes of the crowd. "You're causing a scene."

Agil crossed his arms. "I own this café. If I want to kick people out, I will."

"Oh?" The man with the bracelet gave a cold, authoritative smirk. Kirito felt a chill crawl up his spine. "And what if I want to make this the new meeting place of the Laughing Coffin?"

Thinker's eyes narrowed. "Who exactly are you? What was your username?"

"PoH," the man said simply. "I think you know exactly who I am."

And they most certainly did. Agil's, Klein's, and Thinker's eyes widened. Kirito's fingers involuntarily clenched tighter around the shinai.

PoH was the known leader of Laughing Coffin. He was rumored to have been the player with the highest body count in the game. It was said that he was very proud of that fact and that he took much joy in delivering his fellow players a slow, painful death. His prowess with a knife was well-known. It was as if the knife wasn't a knife anymore, just an extension of his arm.

Agil took a step forward, coming nose-to-nose with PoH. "Get out," he ground out. "Now."

PoH glanced to the side, still smirking. Kirito stiffened when the man's cold blue eyes met his own dark ones. He forced his tense shoulders to relax, taking a step forward.

PoH grinned a maniacal grin. "What do we have here? The famous Black Swordsman? You don't look that mighty to me," he said. He laughed, his guild members not joining in.

Continuing, PoH asked, "Have you come to drive us off with a couple of sticks?" He gave Kirito's two shinai a disdainful look. Digging around in his pocket, he pulled out a switch blade, flicking it open. "If you want a fight, you'll get one, kid."

Not daring to take his eyes off PoH, Kirito saw his three friends subtly shift into ready stances. His hammering heart slowed a little with the knowledge that he wasn't alone.

The woman who had spoken first stepped up next to her leader. "Sir, we didn't come here to get into a fight with the Swordsman."

Another member joined her. "Yeah, we just came here to make a point."

"Fighting in the game is one thing," the other woman said, "real life is another."

The last man dared to look his leader in the eyes. "Let's come back another time, with more members." He glared at Kirito, Klein, Agil and Thinker. "Then we can show them who the strongest players are."

PoH growled and shoved a now-closed knife back into his pocket. "Fine," he agreed. "Let's go. But," here, he turned to look directly at Agil, "this isn't the last you've seen of us."

Motioning for his members to follow him, he stepped past Kirito and swept from the café.

After a moment of silence, Kirito let the shinai's tips rest on the floor. Realizing he had been shaking, Kirito took a deep, calming breath and looked to his friends.

All three looked relieved. Agil walked around to stand behind the counter. He picked up a glass and began polishing it, an act Kirito came to understand helped to calm him down.

Klein and Thinker looked at each other, letting out their pent-up breaths. Klein took a seat across from Agil, shoulders drooping wearily.

Thinker called out, "Please, everyone return to their meals now." His gaze swept across the room. Some people had open mouths, while others were just staring in confusion. One by one, they looked away, returning to their own conversations.

Thinker's eyes found Kirito's. He gestured for the boy to sit with them. Kirito lifted the shinai again, placing them back in the bag. He strolled to the counter, dropping into the seat next to Klein.

The man had a drink sitting in front of him (alcoholic, most likely). He gingerly held it up, downing it in one gulp, grimacing. Immediately, Agil filled it back up, saying, "This one is on the house." Klein nodded gratefully.

Kirito looked to Thinker, who was sitting on Klein's other side. "Good to see you again," he told the man.

Thinker smiled at the swordsman. "Good thing you came when you did. I think you scared them off."

Agil set a glass of water in front of Kirito. "Yeah. That could've gotten ugly."

Klein threw his arm around Kirito's small shoulders, taking a sip of his drink. "Glad we had your rep backing us up. You should've seen the other's faces when they realized that their boss was insulting the legendary Black Swordsman."

Kirito gave a small smile, picking up his water. He was still shaking, but not from nerves. Those shinai had been heavy, and he didn't think that he would've been able to hold them for much longer. "I'm just glad that they didn't know that that was the first time I've held a shinai in years," he said, taking a sip of water. The cold liquid ran down his throat soothingly.

"Really?" Thinker asked, surprised. "Didn't look that way to me."

Kirito shrugged. "I just used the stance I was familiar with- the stance I always used in SAO."

Thinker nodded in understanding, accepting his own drink from Agil.

Kirito set his water down, leaning forward. "So, what did I miss?"

Agil cracked his knuckles. "Not much, really. They came strutting in here like they owned the place." He set his hands on the table and sighed. "We saw the charm on PoH's wrist."

"Then," Klein interrupted, face hard, "we heard them _laughing_ about how much _fun_ they had in SAO."

Thinker glared at the countertop. "How much fun they had _player_ _killing_."

"So," Agil said, "I tried to throw them out and they didn't want to leave."

"It spiraled from that point," Thinker added.

Kirito commented, "You looked ready to fight."

Klein rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, it was bad. And I don't doubt that they'll be coming back."

Kirito didn't doubt it either. The look on PoH's face had been dead serious. He felt his heart start thumping in his chest, but not in fear or nervousness. He felt anticipation for a challenge. After all of the wild adventures he'd had in Sword Art Online, he didn't want a hum-drum, boring life. Sure, the confrontation with Laughing Coffin would be dangerous, but he'd faced worse before. And this time, he wouldn't be a lone-wolf player. He would be standing with his friends.

Kirito slung the shinai bag off of his back, setting it on the counter carefully. "The shinai, Klein."

Klein grinned, opening the bag and pulling out a long, wooden sword eagerly. Thinker and Agil leaned forward in interest.

Kirito grinned at them, warmth filling his heart at the feeling of being surrounded by good friends.

* * *

**AN: Another chapter finished. I hope you all liked it! What the Laughing Coffin wanted to show was that just because they had been imprisoned in-game, they hadn't been destroyed. In Real Life, they couldn't go to jail, because there was no way to prove that they had ever done something wrong. They wanted to show that no matter where they were, they were the strongest guild. They couldn't be touched. Doing this on the official meeting ground of SAO players? That would be bold, and they'd get noticed. Even though they weren't in the game anymore, they couldn't escape their mentality from it. If you spend years living in a different world and are suddenly thrown out of it, it would be hard to adjust. Not just physically, but mentally, too. They haven't fully realized that they didn't need to prove themselves to other players, to have those players fear them. Their minds are still in the game.**

**I also wanted to show just how much of a reputation Kirito had without milking it. As we saw in the Silica episode, Kirito is easily recognized by his enemies and alarms them. We also know that in the last battle of the SAO arc, Kirito has actual sword skills that aren't provided by the game. He can't use any Sword Skills provided by the machine to fight Kayaba, because the man already knew them all and would be able to easily block them. Even without the game's assistance, Kirito is a formidable opponent, and his enemies realize this.**

**Please drop a review, and thanks for reading! Suggestions are still welcomed, as is constructive criticism. Flames will be directed to the appropriate alchemist. Until next time!**

**-Teki**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So, chapter four is up! I didn't make you guys wait as long this time, now, did I? This chapter introduces Silica and Lisbeth, and their thoughts on their feelings for Kirito. Now, I'm not much into romance, so cut me some slack. I've never written it before.**

**Also, I'd like to thank my new beta, he's been lots of help with ideas and wording and stuff for this story. Thanks, man!**

**On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online. I do, however, own the idea for this fanfic.**

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**Dicey Café ch. 4**

Silica sighed, absentmindedly pushing the plastic straw around her soda.

"You feeling okay?" her friend, Lisbeth, questioned. The former blacksmith had her pink-haired head resting on her palm. She looked quite bored, sitting at their booth in the Dicey Café and waiting for Kirito to arrive.

The two girls had planned their "coincidental" meeting with Kirito precisely- the swordsman would get there in about ten minutes. Silica had managed to weasel out the news from Klein that he and Agil would be sharing a drink (non-alcoholic, of course) with Kirito at this specific time and day. Excited to see Pina's savior again, Silica, or rather, Keiko, had contacted a girl with whom she had struck up a friendship with in-game. This girl's real name was Rika, and her username was Lisbeth.

They had met when Silica's dagger had snapped, and Lisbeth's armory was recommended to her. It turned out that, as their conversation turned to the front lines, they had both met the mysterious and handsome Kirito and had crushes on him.

Rather than fight about them, the two star-struck players started a game of healthy competition- whoever caught Kirito's eye first could have him without argument. That is, as long as Asuna the Flash didn't steal him first.

Now, looking up at her friend, Silica let out a long-suffering sigh. "I'm... not sure I want to go after Kirito anymore," she admitted. Truthfully, she'd been feeling that way since they'd been saved, about three, four weeks ago.

Lisbeth blinked, her large eyes disappearing for a millisecond as she sat back, no longer bored. "Really? Why, Sil?"

Silica took a breath, then let it out slowly, her cheeks puffing up. "Well, from what you said, Asuna really looked like she liked him, right?"

Lisbeth nodded, eyes filling with involuntary tears as she thought of her friend. She'd heard people say that she had been killed in the last battle, and part of the reason she wanted to see Kirito was because, since he was alive, Asuna might have made it also.

Silica reached out and grasped her friend's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's not fair to her, if she's alive, and to him, if he liked her back, he might want to honor her memory by not getting together with anyone else. If she's dead, that is. Or in a coma." Silica's warm, slightly watery brown eyes peered into Lisbeth's own, trying to see what the smith thought.

Lisbeth mulled this over in her head. Really, it made sense, but she didn't want to believe it. She felt torn, split into two halves: one part of her wanted to go after Kirito, just tell him she liked him and be done with it. The other wanted to at least wait a while. Maybe not give it up, like Silica, but hold off for a couple of months.

Gently unclasping her and Silica's hands, she reached for her water, taking a small sip. "Yeah, I think you're right, Sil. I'd feel bad if I started dating him, too." She sighed, lowering her drink back to the table.

However, instead of the usual resistance felt when setting something down, her hand just kept going. Accidentally letting go of the glass, Lisbeth's half-full water crashed onto the floor, shattering upon impact.

Jumping, the two girls stared, wide-eyed, at the mess.

Then: "Oh my god, Agil, I'm so sorry!" Lisbeth shouted, turning toward the counter, which was a good twenty feet away.

The big man simply picked up a dry towel, handing a dust pan and sweeper to Klein, who had an infuriating smirk on his face. "See, man? It's not just me," he said, walking over to sweep up the glass.

A new voice broke in just then, making Silica's and Lisbeth's hearts beat just a little faster. ... Well, okay. Maybe a lot faster. "Here, Agil, let me wipe that up for you."

And there was the Black Swordsman himself, dressed in dark colors, his onyx eyes and windswept hair exactly how the girls remembered them.

Swallowing, Lisbeth said again, "Sorry, it was an accident." Across from her, Silica nodded fervently in agreement.

Klein, dust pan now full of glass shards, made his way behind the counter, where he knew a trashcan was placed. Dumping the now-useless glass in it, he stored the pan under the counter. "It's not a big deal, Liz. Agil doesn't care." He took another glass from a rack, filling it almost to the rim with water.

Agil stepped up to the counter, receiving the glass. He handed it to Lisbeth, chuckling, "Just try not to drop this one."

Meanwhile, Kirito had bent down on one knee, crouching above the wet floor. Dragging the rag across the ground to soak up the water, he said, "So, Silica and Lisbeth! I didn't expect to see you here today."

The girls nodded, still slightly surprised at the sudden shattering. Silica smiled and said, "We didn't really expect it either, Kirito! It's nice to see you again!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Lisbeth saw that a look was exchanged between Klein and Agil, which passed unnoticed by Kirito. Thankfully, they didn't say anything.

"You guys too," Kirito said, offering them a shy smile. They blushed, hearing the sincerity in his voice.

Coming out of his crouch, Kirito stood, handing the damp rag to his muscular friend, who chucked it behind the counter.

Kirito stood in front of the girls. Lisbeth pulled to boy into a small hug, murmuring, "Thanks, Kirito," under her breath. By the shade of red his face portrayed when she pulled away, she knew that he had heard. She gingerly took her new drink from Agil's hands.

Silica rose from her seat, also giving the swordsman a gentle embrace. They exchanged a few pleasantries, saying that they had missed each others company and that they should meet up soon.

Then, Lisbeth asked the dreaded question. Grabbing Kirito's attention by clearing her throat, she said hesitatingly, "What... What about Asuna?"

Silica grabbed her friend's hand again, offering silent support. They were ready for good news and bad news.

Kirito gave a tired smile. "I actually just got back from visiting her in the hospital."

Lisbeth's heart practically leapt out of her chest as Silica shouted a happy, "She's okay?!"

Kirito suddenly looked even more exhausted. "Not really," he said. "She's not dead, but she didn't wake up." Even as they watched, the boy seemed to huddle in on himself, looking down at the floor.

"Oh," Lisbeth said. She and Silica exchanged a glance.

"Hey, Kirito!" Klein called from behind the counter, where he had yet to move from. "How about these girls join us today?"

Kirito, looking a bit happier, looked at them. "Would you like to?" he asked.

Silica grinned shyly, and Lisbeth said, "Of course! Let's get a seat at the counter, Sil."

Yes, they would wait, they vowed to themselves as they took their drinks and moved to the counter. But once Asuna woke up- which she would, she was too strong not to- the cute, strong boy who had captured their hearts would be fair game.

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**AN: That's it for this chapter. Hope you guys liked it, and I know it might've been a little AU-ish, but I liked how it turned out. Please review, constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames will be sent to the appropriate alchemist. Thanks for reading!**

**-Teki**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Another chapter! I'd like to thank my beta for this plot bunny. And thanks to anyone who has read this story, it's my most popular by far, with almost 2500 hits! Thanks to the follows, favorites, and reviews! Also, if you don't know, Kibaou is that one guy in episode two who said that betas sucked and that he hated them. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online.**

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**Dicey Café ch. 5**

Kibaou leaned against the hard brick wall of the bakery placed across from the Dicey Café, his stiff, spiked sienna hair barely billowing in the breeze.

Across the street, where the shop lay, he saw the small, wiry beater enter the restaurant, a long, thin bag slung over his back. From the way he was hunched over, it wasn't light.

Kibaou sighed, feeling indecisive. He had come to Agil's Shop on a whim, really. He shifted his weight on his feet. _Should I go in?_ he asked himself. Sure, he wasn't in the man's good graces, but the Dicey Café was open to all players, right? Maybe he would see some old friends there.

But still, he thought, the beater was there! The _beta cheater_, who had played solo and had only wanted to save himself.

Grumbling to himself, Kibaou turned his head from side to side, checking to make sure that no cars were being driven down the street. Seeing none, he hastily crossed over, pressing his back against the wall next to the door of the café.

He shifted on his feet again, as he did when he was nervous or antsy. He took a deep breath, deciding to just go in- Agil could kick him out if he wanted to. He would be fine as long as he wasn't near the beater.

He slouched forward, turning and walking a few steps so that he was directly in front of the door. He placed his large hand on the handle of the door, ready to turn it.

The fact that he was hearing an argument didn't stop him. He just treaded silently and cautiously.

It was a good thing he was being careful, too. He came five feet from running into the beater's back as he moved forward. He hastily took a step back, fading into the background of the shop.

Realizing that no one, not even the beater, had noticed him, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. They had all been too intent on the scene unfolding in front of them to see one man enter the restaurant.

Kibaou saw the beater get out two wooden swords from the thin bag on his back, and he too turned his attention to the group in the middle of the café.

"Murderers? How impolite," one man said. "Is there any proof?"

Kibaou saw the men facing him- Agil, Klein, and... Thinker, was it?- glare at the man. In front of him, the beater's back stiffened.

He grinned. Curious as to who was riling up the beater, Kibaou looked over the smug-looking throng of people ahead of him. There were two women and three men, but the beta-hater couldn't pick out any discerning details about them. Mentally shrugging, he figured he'd find out later.

He was right. When the man who he'd heard first said his username was PoH, he listened with redoubled interest.

So, he thought. These players were from Laughing Coffin.

His lip quirked up. Truthfully, he'd admired and envied the group ever since they'd made a rise in the world of SAO. They did what they wanted to do, even if it was frowned upon by most players. He'd tried to speak his beliefs about betas, but he'd barely been noticed. And, when players had paid attention to him, he had been shunned and ridiculed. And so, when he'd heard about the Laughing Coffin guild, he'd sort of wanted to join them. How did anyone know that they were actually killing people in real life, anyway? Plus, he had thought, there couldn't be a bigger thrill than killing something that actually thought about their moves, rather than just attacking randomly as the game commanded.

The argument raged on, Kibaou noticing that the Laughing Coffin still wanted to make a mark on the world.

An idea seeded inside him- why didn't he help them out a little?

He started inching towards the door. Once he was there, he slowly grasped the handle. Thankfully, the hinges were oiled and not at all squeaky, so he went unnoticed once again.

He retook his position of leaning next to the door, lying in wait for when the Laughing Coffin members would inevitably exit the shop.

About ten minutes later, the door reopened and five people sauntered out, all with scowls on their faces.

Anyone else would have shied away from these people, but Kibaou pushed himself off of the wall and said smoothly, "Nice show in there."

As one, the group stopped and looked at him, irritation plain on most of their faces.

The leader, however, looked idly curious. "You thought so?" PoH commented. "You're probably the only one who appreciated it." He raised his eyebrow. "And who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Kibaou," he said in response. "And I'd like to help you out."

(LINE BREAK HERE)

The small building looked dilapidated and run-down, both inside and out. If one went inside, he would immediately come back out, unnerved by the cobwebs and cracked walls.

The ramshackle building- really, did it qualify as a building?- certainly looked abandoned. Who in their right mind would actually use it for something? It was located on the edges of the city, where very few people lived.

However, it was a far cry from empty. If the one who dared to enter decided to move past the first broken room and venture into the basement, he would see a small group of people, no more than twenty in number. This group would all be wearing dark cloaks, which was a curious thing in today's day and age. The group would also be sporting shiny silver chains, which would hang from their wrist, a small charm dangling from it like a limp body from a noose. If the intruder wasn't thoroughly creeped out by the cult he had stumbled upon, he would notice that this charm was shaped like a coffin, and had an unsettling image of a grinning face on it.

Instead, he would notice that this group was not to be messed with, and decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to leave and never come back.

Then, the interloper would turn around and run right back out of the building, a feeling of terror pumping through his system like blood, stumbling and tripping all the way home. He would tell his friends of his little adventure, and would be berated for being such an idiot as to actually enter the building. After all, it might as well have had a "Keep Out" sign posted out front.

If one was actually a member of this frightening cult, he would be inside that very building at that very moment, listening with rapt attention as his leader spoke one sentence to a man that looked very smug indeed.

"Kibaou," his leader's deep baritone would be saying, "from here on out, you are a member of the Laughing Coffin."

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**AN: So, I hope you all liked it! And don't worry, Kirito will have a bigger role in chapters soon, I just wanted to kick start the plot first. Please review, drop me a PM, whatever. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but, as previously stated, flames will be sent to Colonel Mustang. Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the short chapter.**

**-Teki**


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